Genetic Disorders: Cystic Fibrosis

Hi. Bigdog here with some not so pleasant news. I recently learned and did multiple sessions of research on the genetic disorder Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis was first discovered in the 1950’s when it was reported inside of two students in school. Although the symptoms make themselves pretty clear. Symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis include persistent coughing at times with phlegm. Frequent lung infections, wheezing or shortness of breath, poor growth and weight gain in spite of good appetite. Sadly, Cystic Fibrosis gets even worse from there. Some complications of CF include that it clogs the lungs and leads to life threatening lung infections. It also obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food. All in all death is a major complication. In fact, the average and median life span for people living with Cystic Fibrosis is 37 years old! That's not even that old! Even worse, is that there is no cure, currently, for living with Cystic Fibrosis. But, there are numerous treatments that a patient must go through. Most citizens living with CF must maintain regular treatments that help their lungs function. They must perform many cough exercises. They also have to attend many therapies. Sadly, even with the numerous number of treatments the mortality of this disorder is 37 years old. It also kills 30,000 people in the U.S. every year, and 70,000 worldwide. It targets mostly Caucasians and is caused by defective proteins and clogged enzymes in the lungs. All in all, Cystic Fibrosis is a terrible disorder that will make you think differently about life.